On the Expository Statement in Sermon Preparation
A Letter to Our Students with a Prayer That it Might Be of Some Support to Others
Abstract
Dr. Michael A. Milton shares a letter to his students in Homiletics I: The Preparation of Expository Biblical Sermons, emphasizing the importance of expository preaching and encouraging them to remain faithful to Christ in challenging times. The letter includes an attached audio on the expository statement and a prayer for faithful stewardship of God's Word.
My Dearest Students in the Gospel of God:
"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope" (Romans 15:13).
We remember Zwingli's estimation of what you are studying: "Preaching is the Word of God, and it is the Word of God alone that gives life and salvation to the hearers" (Ulrich Zwingli, Of True and False Religion, 1525). My dear lads, you are handling the supernatural Word from Another World. We are seeking to deliver that Word with Christ-centered fidelity and with the spirit of humility and faithfulness. May this course serve those glorious goals.
I have audio for you. While it undoubtedly covers what you are learning elsewhere on the course, I hope it provides some fresh support in some way. It is attached. It is not edited, so it comes out "raw." Raw fish can make you sick, but I hope raw meditations on the expository statement does not! Quite seriously, I trust that it is not too devoid of form and tainted by my natural mistakes.
A seismic shift has happened in our time. Secularism has turned from the dismissal of Christ and His saints to disdain for what we hold to be the truth. Disdain is invariably followed by derision that can turn worse quite suddenly. — M. A. Milton, A Letter to Our Students on the Expository Statement in Sermon Preparation, April 2, 2023
I want to pray for you this week. It is Lord's Day, Palm Sunday, as I write and as I am praying. I cannot tell you how thankful I am for you. Nor can I over-emphasize the vital nature of our time together. We must dedicate ourselves each day anew to doing our absolute best for the Master and His flock (that admonition is primarily to me, not you). For the days in which we live are difficult. A seismic shift has happened in our time. Secularism has turned from the dismissal of Christ and His saints to disdain for what we hold to be the truth. Disdain is invariably followed by derision that can turn worse quite suddenly. Believers in the West, including the USA, Great Britain, and its Commonwealth of Nations, will need shepherds who can know the times, and have the strength to preach as our brothers in other parts of the world (e.g., the Sudan, Uganda, Iran, China) who have undergone persecution in recent years and years past. Thus, I approach this task with the greatest urgency and total dependency on Christ who said He will never leave us nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5).
And, so, I do pray for you:
"Lord God, you have called us to preach the good news of your kingdom, and we are grateful for this privilege and responsibility. Help us to be faithful stewards of your Word, and to proclaim it boldly and clearly, with humility and love. May our preaching be a means of grace to all who hear us, and a sign of your kingdom breaking in. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen" (Adapted from the Presbyterian Book of Common Worship).
O may that Kingdom come. Commending you to Christ and the Word of His grace, I remain
Yours Faithfully,
Dr. Milton
References
Book of Common Worship: 1946 Edition. Philadelphia: Presbyterian Publishing Corporation, 1978.
Zwingli, Ulrich. Commentary on True and False Religion. Originally published in Zurich, 1525. Eugene, OR: Wipf and Stock Publishers, 2015.
Attachment:
Attachment: "Thoughts on the Expository Statement," Michael A. Milton, PhD. April 1, 2023, Tryon, North Carolina.